A Boy Band Documentary Has Been Acquired. No Title Yet.

 

Paramount+ is continuing to build its music documentary portfolio. October alone sees the releases of All of Those Voices, featuring former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, coming tomorrow, and Milli Vanilli on the 24th. Now, they've picked up one about boy bands and their mark on pop culture.

Produced by Johnny Wright and Van Toffler, the documentary is still untitled but digs into the love, pain and tears of joy of the era through interviews from the key players, using the music and archive footage available to them. It focuses on those from the 1990s and early 2000s, namely New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and 98 Degrees. It is directed by Tamra Davis, who not only directed Billy Madison and Half Baked, but Britney Spears in the 2002 film Crossroads, four episodes of Younger in its TV Land pre-Paramount+ days, and 155 music videos in her MTV days. She's certainly got the experience.

It is Paramount+’s latest music documentary from Gunpowder & Sky, which made I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream and yacht rock-focused Sometimes When We Touch. Toffler is the company's CEO and spent 28 years at MTV, including as President of Viacom Media Networks Music & Logo Group between 2008 and 2016. Wright has previously managed New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, Spears *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake solo, as well as The Jonas Brothers.

“The ’90s boy band era was an extraordinary chapter in music where harmonies and beats came together, along with talented vocal artists who captivated the hearts of millions worldwide,” Wright remarked. “Their music spoke to the dreams, aspirations and emotions of the fans, creating a bond that transcended borders and language. To this day, the boy bands continue to inspire, uplift and unite – reminding us of a great time that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”

Toffler added, “If you think back to groups like The Jackson 5, who paved the way for boy bands, this music has dominated the charts for decades, but there’s always been a stigma attached. The reality is, these are insanely talented guys who led the requests each week when I was running TRL in the ’90s and early 2000s. And, just when we all think the fervor for boy bands has dissipated, One Direction or BTS emerge, and their disciples like Harry Styles and Justin Timberlake overtake pop culture.”

"The ’90s boy band era made an indelible impact and will be forever woven into the pop culture landscape. Boy bands remain bonafide global sensations to this day, as seen in the fan frenzy heard around the world during *NSYNC’s on-stage reunion at this year's VMAs and the ever-spreading domination of K-Pop’s biggest groups like BTS, Stray Kids and TXT," said Bruce Gillmer, who is President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music at Paramount+. "We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Van and Gunpowder & Sky, harnessing the magic and nostalgia this golden age of boy band culture continues to elicit for the legions of fans across generation and the world."

Source: Deadline